ok so i have been making basic programs in ti-basic and axe
then i googled around and saw that about 7 years ago there was a project that was started and for the most part failed. the project was the wireless ir link.

well i had made an etch-e-sketch program in axe and also in basic and i had a thought started. what if i could make it where if i shake my calculator it could clear the screen!
then it would truly be an etch-e-sketch
i don't think it would be terribly difficult, just have 2 sets of metal connectors. if you shake it slightly it will have only one set touch and have nothing done. if you shake it harder both sets will touch the corresponding piece and thus send a command or signal to the calculator.

any and all help would be loved as i have no idea how to pull this off. also this will be a great learning experience

i have also posted this on omnimaga

Ti-84 plus silver edition
OS: 2.53 MP
Axe: 0.2.6
letter on back: M (for things like ti-boy se) ( can't use )

Pshh, who uses calculators anymore? Just make it an iPhone app and put your clear function in motionsEnded. The iPhone sdk is a piece of cake. Then just go ahead and write an 84+ emulator while you're at it.

Edit: Ooh, sorry bob. I didn't see you were new here. I'm just being a troll. Don't mind me.

hahaah and while your at it, try to make a friend

edit: sorry for being rude but it was kind of mean of you. also i have problems with apple. I always got terrible service from them.

and i can afford android, ipad or whatever, i just don't care for them

Psh, who uses iPhones? Make it for a real platform like Android. The Android SDK is a piece of cake.

Anyway, for what you want to do you'd need to use assembly. A simply accelerometer would be pretty easy to hook up I suspect, no need to build your own.

Dag yo, too slow on the edit. Oh, well. I guess I'll go back to /b/ where I fit in.

Edit: @kllrnohj: anyone who thinks people will mod their calc for an etch a sketch program is too young to afford a smart phone. He's much more likely to have an iPod touch than a droid.

I believe he's talking about detecting motion and using that motion to simulate shake with the IR Link, which would be pretty impossible I believe.

I think he was just referencing the IR link project for kicks. Anyway, it's a pretty simple concept, but I'm not sure where you would rig the accelerometer.

So here's what I said when he emailed me:



So in other words, I was thinking that with an analog accelerometer (ie, one not producing an I2C output or something) it would be easy to pull down one or both calculator I/O lines when shaking occurred. Each line could indicate one of two axes, or two different thresholds could be used so you'd need to shake harder for the second. Based on the description, one axis and one threshold would be sufficient. Interfacing would be as easy as an ASM program to set a BASIC variable to 0 when both lines were high, and 1 or 2 or 3 when they went 01, 10, and 11 respectively. (To those who are confused by my use of pull low with logical 1, the calculator has active-low data lines).

hmm... this is good...
good to see people having new ideas

personally though... i am still trying to find a way to open mine... -.-'
haha

Indeed. Speaking of accelerometers, something like this is what you want, although this is a way-overkill 3-axis device:

http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/product_info.php?products_id=252

Open your calculator? All you need is to remove six Torx-6 screws and one phillips screw (the one holding the backup battery in, which is also structural). You then gently shear the two halves to open the side latches, while also pressing the top front to open the top latch.

yeah... the problem is, i can't find such a screw driver lol

The internets have lots of Torx-6 screwdrivers. Are you near any big chain stores that might have them, like Sears or something?

hmm... i see... cool thanks!
i think i will get one next time i go there

would there be any down sides to buying a triple axis Accelerometer compared to a single axis Accelerometer.
it looks like the 3 is cheaper.

i am not pressed for money but i would hate to buy something then find out it isn't what i need.
would this one be good?
http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/product_info.php?products_id=9652
or is this one better?
http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/product_info.php?products_id=9332

i have never attempted anything like this before.


next. how could i have my calculator determine if it is being shaken? what kind of output from the accelerometer give my calculator.

would i need another battery for the Accelerometer, or would it leech off my calculator's?

how would i connect my 2.5 mm jack to the Accelerometer.

thanks.

So Happy Bob, besides the accelerometer method, you could also do this with a simple spring-type motion detector. The basic concept is a spring acting as one terminal, with a metal pin in the center of the spring that acts at the second terminal. The bottoms of the spring and the pin are fixed, while the tops are free to move. When you shake it, the spring flexes but the pin stays fixed. If you shake it enough, the spring touches the pin, completing the circuit (and pulling the line low). Since I'm the one with the Masters in Electrical Engineering and you probably don't have access to the same surface mount soldering equipment as me that you might need for the accelerometer solution, this spring/pin method might be much easier.

Here's an example of a similar method, except it uses a copper ring near the free end of the spring instead of a center pin.


Edit: so, would you like me to answer your questions about the accelerometer, or go for the spring method? For the accelerometer, you would indeed an external power supply, either 3.3v or 5v, and you would need to also build the thresholding circuit, which takes a transistor and a handful of resistors.

i do have a soldering iron. it is not a $300 oone but it is rather good.

i think i will go with spring method. then in my prog. i will have it say,
If 'when signal received' : pxl-off ( randint (1,95) , randint (1,65) )

would i just need a

spring ( don't own )
solder and iron ( own )
mettel pin. ( Idk )
ripped 2.5 mm jack ( own )
wire. (own )

also would i need a battery or would the calculator supply the power?
if i do need a battery, what should i have to prevent to much power going into the i/o

So if you do the spring method, you don't need an external power supply. You just connect the pin in the spring-pin device to the ground of the I/O port, and the spring to either the tip or the ring. Because all you're doing is shorting a data line to ground to pull it low and making the calculator see a logical 1 on that line, you don't need to worry about sourcing too much current from or sinking too much current to the calculator.

awesome man i might have this done today?

also what will i need
just the
spring
pin
hot glue gun and glue
solder and iron
wire and 2.5 mm jack?


Edit: ok i am starting to make it.

Hold on a second, I'll make you a diagram for you to copy, I'll be about an hour. Yes, that's all you need.

i got the jack taken apart
got the hot glue gun and glue
solder and iron
spring
wire
pin

ok i'm good to go.